Congenital

Deafness has become a well-recognized disorder in llamas and alpacas. The overall incidence of this condition in camelids is unknown, but an association between deafness and the presence of blue eyes and a white hair coat appears to exist. A relationship between deafness and hypopigmentation exists across many species (humans, dogs, and cats) and is not unique to the llama and alpaca populations. Neither the mode of inheritance nor the gene defect(s) responsible for congenital deafness are known at this time. more »